Construction panel grids (guiding network) for easier location of frame elements

ABSTRACT

The current methods of a construction panel (including but not limited to drywall, plywood etc) installation require a fastening (or attaching by other methods) construction panels to a frame, build from frame elements spaced in the certain interval. The construction panel surface is usually monotonous without any grids to determine the frame element&#39;s position, which requires an additional marking, measuring or any other identification of the frame element&#39;s position and often leads to a wrong fastening of the panels. 
     A modified construction panel (including, but not limited to drywall, plywood, cement panels, artificial panels, wall panels, floor panels, ceiling panels etc) panel is invented, with a preprinted (or applied by any other method, before or during or after the manufacturing of the panel) a grid (guiding network) (or any other marks, including, but not limited to grooves, folds, imprints, holes etc) drawn or applied by any other method to the surface or another part(s) of the panel in the certain intervals and in different directions, corresponding or correlating with the frame element&#39;s spacing. This will provide a construction worker with an easy way to identify the position of the frame elements and significantly reduce the time and increase the quality of the construction panel installation.

A. TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a grid (guide or guiding network) pre-applied on constructing panels in the construction trade, and its application to use, permitting the precise positioning of nails or other fasteners in attaching panels to other construction members, thus facilitating and accelerating the construction of walls.

B. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Various devices have been heretofore provided to assist a carpenter in the framing and construction of building structures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 20070011959 discloses a template that highlights the positions of studs, joists, rafters, and trusses and applies on a constructing panel. A problem with this template is that it is a separate piece of equipment, which should be applied on a preexisting panel, which requires additional costs, time and usually applies over the panel which is pre-fastened to a frame.

Templates made of flat flexible thick material having adhesives thereon are also known in the cabinetry trade and other trades and an example of such is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,737. Such tapes are used at precise locations to indicate the position of holes when making cabinetry that require precision hardware to be installed thereon. Such templates have therefore limited use. It is also known to use templates in the construction of housing development where repetitious measures are utilized and such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,302. Such templates have again restricted usage and are not practical as a measuring tool for all sorts of building structures.

There is also a need in the prior art to provide a guide that is preexists on construction panel surfaces to identify locations wherein nails or other fasteners may be installed at precise locations.

There is also a need to provide a guide that is easy to use, that is economical, and that accelerates the construction.

C. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the construction arts, a constructing panel is a vertical, horizontal or any other direction diaphragm covering a frame and forming internal and external surfaces of walls, ceilings, floors or any other internal or external structures.

Examples are included bit not limited to a drywall panel, gyps panel, cement panel and plywood. Panels are fastened on a frame build from different material and included but not limited to studs, joists, rafters, and trusses spaced in the certain intervals. Construction panels are fastened to the elements of the frame and form internal and external surfaces of walls, ceilings, floors or any other internal or external structures.

Construction panels form internal and external surfaces of the building structures and usually used for further covering by siding (external walls), painting and/or wallpapers (internal walls, ceilings), or other materials (walls, ceilings, floors). Nailed wood framing and construction panels allow to form a flat even surface. The overall appearance of the finished surfaces is determined by the individual behavior of the fastened construction panels. The prior art has long recognized that flexible measuring tapes, such as canvas measuring tapes or flexible metal measuring tapes, may be advantageously employed in a plethora of common applications. However, the necessity of holding these devices stationary in order to obtain a true measurement often renders their use awkward, particularly where no assistance is available and large distances must be measured. Some of the previous arts require applying of an additional template on the panels, which requires an additional effort, time and costs to purchase these templates. Moreover, the use of these devices entails a manual measurement or applying operations, which can be very time consuming and a significant source of costly errors, particularly in construction applications, where a large number of measurements or applications of the templates must be made over long distances.

Typically, construction panels are installed in the rushed and chaotic setting of construction zone, where precise measurements do not always occur. This can create problems if the intended nailing pattern for the construction panel is not followed, in that the construction panel may have to be re-nailed or replaced, or perhaps worse, allowed to remain with incorrect nailing. An improperly nailed construction panel may fail to perform as designed.

D. OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method eliminates the necessity for additional devices, is easily usable by a single workman, and does not require the use of an additional measuring or other template devices therewith.

One object of the invention is to provide a preexisting on a construction panel a guiding network for marking the intended locations of nails or other fasteners in construction panels. The invention may comprise the guiding network by a pre-printing on the construction panel, or any other method of manufacturing.

One object of the invention is to facilitate cutting of a construction panel into fragments precisely filling the space between the frame elements. The use of pre-manufactured guiding network as a guide for cutting will eliminated the necessity of additional measurements and drawing to divide the construction panel into fragments precisely filling the space between the frame elements.

One object of the invention is to allow for fast and accurate inspections of the nailing/securing of construction panels. Traditionally, contractors or governmental officials, charged with inspecting the framing of a building, must assess whether the construction panels have been properly secured to other building members, such as studs. These inspections typically take a significant amount of time and effort to assess whether the panels were secured with the proper nailing pattern. These inspections typically involve manual measurements and mathematical calculations, both of which are subject to error. The invention described herein, by pre-manufacturing of the construction panels, allows for faster and more accurate inspections by allowing the inspector to merely compare the nailing pattern to the pre-printed target markings on the panel.

One embodiment of the invention incorporates a color coding system such that different spacing patterns use different colors. This would allow for one pre-manufactured guiding network have more than one nailing pattern contained on the panel, thus making it more versatile. For instance, a nailing pattern with one indicia of measurement could be marked in one color, and a second nailing pattern with a second indicia of measurement could be marked in a second color.

Another embodiment of the invention incorporates a coding system that uses different shapes to distinguish between the target markings of one or more different nailing patterns. For example, one nailing pattern could use squares as target markings, while another nailing pattern could use circles or triangles. An advantage of this embodiment is that multiple nailing patterns could be pre-manufactured onto the same panel with less chance of confusion by the user. This embodiment also adds to the versatility of the invention.

The pre-manufactured pattern of the target markings desired by the user may depend on a variety of factors, including the type of frame elements being used, the types and sizes of fasteners being used, and the load requirements. As such, it is anticipated that a variety of guiding networks and patterns of target markings will be utilized in this invention.

It is a feature of this invention to provide that the pre-printed markings can utilize a variety of measurement systems, including, but not limited to English and metric.

E. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pre-manufactured guiding network on the surface of a construction panel.

F. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the front surface of a construction panel has a pre-manufactured (pre-printed) guiding network on it. The guiding network is composed from lines spaced in the certain interval corresponding with the frame elements spacing, as it is indicated in the FIG. 1. The lines of the guiding network are drawn in both vertical and horizontal directions, allowing to install the construction panel in any direction. The preprinted lines on the panel may facilitate a division of the panel into fragments precisely filling the space between the frame elements. 

1. A constructing panel to cover a frame and to form internal and external surfaces of walls, ceilings, floors or any other internal or external structures, including but not limited to drywall panel, gyps panel, plywood panel, cement panel etc.
 2. The construction panel recited in claim 1 wherein said having a guiding network for marking the intended locations of nails or other fasteners.
 3. The guiding network recited in claim 2 wherein said is pre-printed on the construction panel surface, or applied by any other method of manufacturing.
 4. The guiding network recited in claim 2 wherein said composed from different elements organized in different directions for marking the intended locations of nails or other fasteners in construction panels.
 5. The guiding network recited in claim 2 wherein said having a color coding system such that different spacing patterns use different colors.
 6. The guiding network recited in claim 2 wherein said having a pre-manufactured pattern of the target markings desired by the user may depend on a variety of factors, including the type of frame elements being used, the types and sizes of fasteners being used, and the load requirements.
 7. The guiding network recited in claim 2 wherein said having pre-printed markings which can utilize a variety of measurement systems, including, but not limited to English and metric. 